Stormy Weather II

[Serial_Apologist]

Paying today for our two days of summer - constant grey, wet and chilly. Saturday is supposed to be better - just being dry would be an improvement; the rain may not have been heavy today but it's been persistent since the early hours so the amount of standing water is considerable.

Much the same as here - the continuous rain since first thing has more-or-less petered out now, though the front's heel-dragging is indicated by only very slowly improving visibility - the misty view of the Hampstead ridge indicating it's still raining only 12 miles to the north. Unless the sun emerges I don't think the official 14C forecast will be reached - it's just 11C here now - mid-March/November values! Hopefully better tomorrow - there's a big open air sale of nick knacks over in Peckham. Just happens to be round the corner from where yesterday the police arrested 40 protesters trying to block a charabanc from transferring migrants to **that boat**.

[DracoM]

This a.m. - Sat 4th - here in NW, it is foggy, chilly, drizzly filth.

[Old Grumpy]

This a.m. - Sat 4th - here in NW, it is foggy, chilly, drizzly filth.

No change there then!...

...meanwhile, this side o't Pennines it is grey and slightly damp, but not too bad all in all.

[Serial_Apologist]

A sunny and increasingly warm morning has been replaced by cumulus growth which is now spreading out into stratocumulus under the anticyclonic inversion, the all-too common phenomenon known as infill that so frequently spoils otherwise nice spring and summer afternoons, pegging afternoon temperatures back. I think this may become a regular feature of the next 5 days or so of settled weather, depending on the height of the inversion. If it lowers from the present level (around 7000 feet I would estimate) it will squeeze moisture out of the atmosphere at that height and crush emergent fair weather cumulus to give us those well-scattered flattened cloud puffs against a pale blue sky and goodish visibility typical of your ideal average British summer day. But the most should be made of it, since it will probably only last until Sunday.

[Serial_Apologist]

A sunny but slightly hazy day today in London, with thin high cloud throughout weakening the sun's strength resulting in lower temperatures than had been anticipated, but allowing for a pleasurable not-too-exhausting 20-mile ride across the Thames via Albert Bridge around my childhood neighbourhood before returning by way of Battersea Bridge. I told a neighbour that the two things I enjoyed most about revisiting Kensington and Chelsea were, first the spectacle of well dressed folk congregating outside posh pubs and restaurants on a nice day reminding me of how the other 5 percent live, and secondly, road surfaces "as smooth as a baby's bottom" with no potholes.

By the way, did anyone witness last night's aurora burealis? I went outside at the appointed time, but apart from a faint suggestion of green light there was too much light pollution.

[Serial_Apologist]

Apparently not! There was supposed to be a repeat performance last night, but large amounts of cirrus cloud would have obscured the effects. Today promises to be considerably warmer than yesterday, with Continental Tropical air now coming in from the south east. The thundery predictions appear to have been downgraded if not "superseded", although I note storms right now in the vicinity of Paris. With very light winds it might be a bit too hot to take to the bike once more today; I'll probably have an early afternoon stroll around some of the local parks instead.

This article on keeping ones home cool in hot weather popped up in the recommendeds this morning. The idea of small air conditioning units for limited use in closed rooms is not among the recommended options I would go for - and they would be of limited use in open-plan interiors such as mine, but I did find keeping curtains drawn on south facing windows helped last year.

http://getpocket.com/explore/item/how-to-cool-your-home-in-a-warming-world?utm_source-pocket-newtab-en-gb

[Serial_Apologist]

Oh well never mind! Today's weather reflects yet another "stuck" situation with an AWOL jet stream leaving numerous weak low pressure systems drifting aimlessly around with nothing to move them on, ("Move along now sir, please, you're causing an obstruction"), and various orphan frontal systems, the latest of which, now stradding England from Kent to Cumbria, moving north east at the speed of a pensioner walking with a zimmer frame expecting to find their resting place before deciding on a limited return journey tonight. So it's close-feeling under the cloud back shield with a great deal of low clag trying to shape up into cumulus reducing light levels further. And thus it remains more-or-less with minor variations, as far as the eye can see, for the next week! At least it won't be cold - or particularly windy - but the associated rain won't help farmers already delayed in planting for later on in the year. I truly hope this isn't setting the pattern for the remainder of the summer.

[Serial_Apologist]

Dead calm day, sandwiched between weak low pressure systems; this morning's cumulus development now invades the entire sky, threatening to break an inversion at higher levels - will it rain or not? No chance of any sunbathing, unlike yesterday. All should be well weather-wise for Bank Holiday Monday.

[vinteuil]

All should be well weather-wise for Bank Holiday Monday.

... Bank Holiday Monday isn't until 27 May : I see that BBC Weather for London offers for that day "light rain showers and light winds"

.

[oddoneout]

Rain all day yesterday - not heavy luckily, and straight down due to lack of wind, but nonetheless the cumulative effect made going round town unpleasant, with deluges from defective gutters overhead, and careless vehicles ploughing thoughtlessly through standing water on the road drenching legs with dirty water.

[Pulcinella]

Decent weather here today for our estate community festival!

[DracoM]

YES! Hot strange light in the sky.................!